I write because I am made of words. I write because words haunt me in the best and worst ways. I write because I tend to speak lyrically and get told I am constantly talking in code. I write poetry because occasionally those streaming syllables flow from me. I write stories. I provoke others with my words, I think, and I poke people with my speech, I hope. Ultimately, I write because I need sleep and my brain has never stopped without emptying itself with ink. I write because I was told if I am not writing, I am not a writer.